TBL Online – Some Ideas

What we want to recreate – Readiness Assurance Process (RAP)

One of the most interesting things about the Readiness Assurance Process is that students interact with the course concepts up to 5 times and interact with troublesome concepts more than easy concepts. The first interaction is in the readings, then the individual test, the team test, the Appeals process (which forces students back into readings right where they had trouble) and finally the instructor clarification/mini-lecture on the troublesome topics. What the RAP process establishes is a shared level of understanding, so all team members are in a better position to equitably contribute (since different levels of preparation can really be toxic to team functioning).

Readings: initial exposure, time on task, initial knowledge acquisition.

Individual Test: Individual accountability for initial knowledge acquisition.

Team Test: Social construction of knowledge, accountability to peers, consensus building, negotiation, team decision-making, and immediate feedback.

Appeals Construction Process: Pushes students back into reading right where they had the most difficulty.

Instructor Clarification/ Mini-Lecture: a short, focused discussion on remaining troublesome topics.

What we want to recreate – Application Activities (4S)

It is still very important that activities are built using the 4S framework. We need students using course concepts to solve problems, work with others to facilitate the social construction of knowledge, making them take a public position, being asked to articulate one’s thinking and ideas, and probe and analyze other team’s thinking and decision. What we need to do is develop strategies to do a version of the simultaneous report that generates the same comparability and catalyst for student post-decision inquiry and reflection.

There are good synchronous possibilities using a combination of existing learning management systems (LMS) tools (discussion forums, quizzing, assignment tools, chat) and synchronous virtual meeting software like Adobe Connect or Blackboard Collaborate. This is the simpler version of synchronous. If you want an even better-integrated experience you use these tools in combination with Intedashboard or OpenTBL.

You would schedule online class meetings and use the synchronous meeting tools (Adobe Connect or Blackboard Collaborate) to facilitate the class session. Intra-team discussions can be facilitated by using the breakout room feature. And team reporting can be facilitated by using a shared whiteboard in the main meeting room, polling tools, or something like Google forms and spreadsheets. It is best to carefully script these events since you will be moving people in and out of breakout rooms, using polling, and likely managing slides and multiple whiteboards. Without a script, it can feel quite complex to facilitate the progression of session activities. Again, if you want an even better-integrated experience you use these tools in combination with Intedashboard or OpenTBL.

• Phase One – Readings/Preparation
  You post readings or videos in the LMS – easy
• Phase Two – Individual Readiness Assurance Test
  You can use existing quiz tools in LMS – easy
• Phase Three (synchronous) – Team Readiness Assurance Process
  You can use quiz tool in LMS where one team member completes quiz – a little messy or you can use the team quiz tools in Intedashboard or Open TBL – elegant
• Phase Four – Appeal Process
  You could use chat or polling functions in virtual meeting software or for a more elegant solution use Intedashboard or Open TBL.
• Phase Five – Mini-lecture/Clarification
  You could do direct instruction in virtual meeting software.
• Phase Six (synchronous) – 4S Application Activities
  Activities can be presented in virtual meeting software and teams can be moved by instructor into breakout rooms for intra-team discussions. Simultaneous reporting can be achieved by bringing teams back into the central virtual meeting room, sharing the whiteboard with everyone and having a preformatted table where teams can simultaneously report their decision. Both Intedashboard and OpenTBL have dedicated functionality to support this.
• Phase Seven – Summary Consolidation
  Either can be in real-time via direct instruction or could be by follow-up email or discussion post.
  

There are other good asynchronous possibilities to using ONLY the tools in existing learning management systems.

TBL Online – my asynchronous proposal

RAP Process (Day 1 to 4)

Day 0-1

Reading/Preparation Materials – online delivery is a good fit – print or video

Individual Readiness Assurance – existing quiz tools will work well. If video content is used can embed questions in the flow of video. You want to try to ensure students have given an honest effort to reading and trying to understand the material.

Day 2-3

Team Readiness Assurance – uses asynchronous model described to Palsole and Awalt (NDTL no. 116). Two or Three higher-level RAP (bordering on easy 4S) questions are asked. Here is a deviation from traditional TBL, these questions are not the same as iRAT questions. You want questions that are a little more difficult and higher level to spark discussion. The team discusses in private discussion area and at end of two days, the designated team leader (rotating role – see table 1) compiles discussion and posts gist on whole common course discussion board. Points are given to team leader for compilation and given to each individual for making “substantive” posts (set a minimum – see table 2). At end of this process, individual understanding has hopefully improved through team processing.

Day 4

Mini-lecture – teacher provides summary observations from posting and reviews major takeaways. Liberally quote student words in summary to honour their contribution.

4S Process (Day 5 to 10)

4S Problem(s) posted on common course discussion board.

Day 5-8

For 3 days, student teams analyze, discuss problem(s), and come to a consensus decision(s) in private team discussion forum. Points are awarded to individuals for “substantive” discussion posts (set a minimum – see table 2).

At end of period – the designated team leader (rotating role – see table 3) compiles discussion and sends decision(s) and support rationales to instructor (word limits/worksheet?) by 5 pm on designated day.

End of Day 8

The instructor then compiles all team submissions and post in common course discussion board (simultaneous report) OR you could have teams post themselves at a specific time to save instructor effort. A little less simultaneous, but workable.

Day 8-10

Once all teams compilation is posted, individuals review all team submissions and must post two “substantive” comments – one “substantive” challenge (C) comment and one “substantive” supportive (S) comment (see table 2 and list 1).

Module Summary (Day 11)

The instructor then compiles discussion – extracts lesson learned and shares a summary of problem(s) solution. Liberally quote student words in summary to honour their contribution.

Table 1: tRAT team leader (marks for assigned rotating role individual

• Post gist of tRAT team discussion and answers in public discussion forum

Table 2: Individual Posting* (marks for individuals)

• Individual do multiple posts in 3 stages, first in tRAT intra-team discussion, then in 4S intra-team analysis discussion, and finally in the 4S simultaneous report follow-up whole class discussion (if we set minimum to 2 posts per step – 6 total points are available to individuals).

List 1: Substantive Discussion Contribution Behaviours

• Support/Verify – cite evidence (literature reference) or quote readings (page numbers) (S)
• Build – make significant addition to previous post (S)
• Link/Combine – incorporate multiple posts and ideas into one big idea (S)
• Uncover Assumptions – describe what is believed to be true without proof (C)
• Articulate limits of applicability – explain how context affects applicability (C)
• Paraphrase/Summarize – concise restatement of aggregate ideas from a series of posts
• Unpack – explain in detail how team arrived at decision
• Devil’s Advocate – examine alternate choices or understandings (C)

(S) Supportive

(C) Challenge

Table 3: 4S team compilation and submission (marks for assigned rotating role individual)

• Submits team decision and rationales by deadline

Learning Management Systems

• Canvas
• Blackborad
• Moodle

Integrated TBL applications

• Intedashboard
• OpenTBL

Online Meeting Tools

• Zoom
• GoToMeeting
• Adobe Connect
• Blackboard Collaborate

Synchronous 4S Reporting

• Polling Tools and Whiteboards in virtual meeting software (Adobe Connect or Blackboard Collaborate)
• Intedashboard
• OpenTBL
• Google Forms and Spreadsheets – We have used Google forms to fill up Google spreadsheets in real-time, then use the filled spreadsheet reveal as the simultaneous report. One of the nice things is you can ask students for many parameters pertaining to decision. For example, in a Mechanical engineering course total cost, actuator type, and transmission type needs to be entered by each team into a Google form. All the results flow into the spreadsheet for simultaneous report. Once student input is revealed…column can be sorted….showing least expensive or highest performance, etc.

Peer Evaluation Tools

• iPeer – free open software allows you to entirely automate the peer evaluation process. It supports a number of different evaluation types and has a building block integration with Blackboard Learn. The software needs to be installed on a local server. This is a good choice for countries with strict privacy laws.
• CATME – A formerly free US based web service lets you easily set up peer evaluations for your class. Now they are charging for services (as of 2017).
• Teammates – This free Singapore based web service lets you easily set up peer evaluations for your class. This software is relatively new but looks extraordinarily promising.

Here are some notes on applying the IVEY case method online. The IVEY F2F case method is described in these books – Teaching with Cases, Learning with Cases, and Writing Cases

There are 3 pieces of the IVEY case method we should consider

1. Short Cycle Student Preparation
2. Long Cycle Student Process
3. Case teaching plan

Let’s first look at the typical IVEY case process.

Standard Short Cycle Process

This is introduction for students to case. Designed to “propel” students into case.

1. Read opening and ending paragraphs
2. Who? What? Why? When? How?
3. Quick look at case exhibits
4. Quick review of case subtitles
5. Skin case body
6. Read assignment questions
7. Reflect

Standard Long Cycle Process – Analyze and Solve Case

1. Read Case
2. Analyze Case
   •  Define the issue
   • Analyze case data
   • Generate alternatives
   • Select decision criteria
   •  Assess alternatives
   • Select preferred alternative
   • Develop action and implementation plan

Case Teaching Plan

1. Introduction
2. Read discussion
3. Case introduction
4. Assignment questions

Facilitation plan (board plan)

• Question 1
• Analysis
• Decision criteria
• Alternatives
• Action
• Question 2
• Analysis
• Decision criteria
• Alternatives
• Action

Let’s look at what it looks like if we move online

Online Short Cycle

• Case presentation, readings, questions easily provided online
• Could have quiz questions or worksheet to ensure individuals have seriously engaged with case materials
• A really compelling add would be have a short case overview video with embedded questions that combines everything – case presentation, short cycle questions, assignment questions

Online Long Cycle

• what we need to work against is students that don’t prepare or contribute, maybe could have an individual worksheet that require first try at long cycle prompts that is submitted online before long cycle team discussions
• student could complete this kind on analysis in intra-team discussions in private team discussion forums
• could have a rotate role of discussion harvester that compiles and forward to instructor for posting in whole class discussion area after analysis phase has closed.
• could award points for harvesting and points for substantive discussion posts (set minimum)

Case Teaching Plan

• articulate plan to students (syllabus)
• set up forums
• post case resources
• post assignment questions
• post worksheets
• configure drop boxes
• teacher completes long cycle worksheet with model answers
• draft posts to introduce case and assignment questions
• draft summary posts with important details and connections students should make